8 Difference between Meiosis I and Meiosis II (Meiosis I vs II)

 What is meiosis?

A type of cell division that produces four haploid cells with half the number of chromosomes from a diploid parent cell. This process is responsible for producing egg cells and sperm cells and contributes to genetic variation.

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Meiosis I	Meiosis II
2 Haploid cells are formed from a diploid parent cell with half number of chromosomes	From 2 haploid cells, 4 haploid cells are formed with same number of chromosomes
Also called as “reduction division”; as chromosome number in daughter cells is reduced to half	Also called as “equational division”; as chromosome number in daughter cells is same as the parent cell or just like mitosis
Prophase I is long with multiple stages (leptotene, zygotene, pachytene, diplotene, diakinesis)	Simpler prophase I without substages
Crossing over between homologous chromosomes occur during pachytene of prophase I	No crossing over
Homologous chromosomes are separated during Anaphase	Sister chromatids are separated during Anaphase
Cohesin is protected at centromeres by shugoshin; that holds two chromatids of homologous chromosomes together during anaphase I	Cohesin is cleaved at centromeres for separation of sister chromatids during anaphase II
The outcome is 2 haploid cells with duplicated chromosomes or chromosomes with 2 chromatids	Four haploid cells with single set of chromosomes; or chromosomes with a single chromatid
There is an interphase before meiosis I where germ cells prepare for division	Generally, meiosis II directly proceeds from meiosis I without a long duration interphase as in mitosis